Frankly Darling too good in Ribblesdale

Frankly Darling is improving fast and confirmed her promise with a dominant win in the Gr2 Ribblesdale Stakes (12f) at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

The Anthony Oppenheimer homebred daughter of Frankel started favourite and those punters who took the short odds never had a moments worry, Frankly Darling cruising to the lead early in the home straight then coming home 1-3/4 lengths clear of Ennistymon with Passion another 2-1/2-lengths away third.

Trainer John Gosden was winning at the Royal meeting for the 50th time and said Frankly Darling is still learning her craft.

“Frankly Darling is a lovely filly. She ran only once last year, at Chelmsford. She was a big, rangy girl and a bit unfurnished who needed time to develop,” Gosden said.

“We got a run in and she ran well, and of course she would have gone to the April meeting at Newbury and run in a mile and a quarter fillies’ maiden there and then gone to an Oaks trial, then maybe gone to the Oaks.

“Obviously that all changed. She luckily got in on the first day at Newcastle – they divided a maiden, so she got to run on June 1 and won well.

“She’s still learning; as you can see, she was a little wild, there’s a bit of Frankel about her – ‘I want to run and it’s my business if I want to run, not the jockey’s’ – but she showed an awful lot of class today.